Monday, February 26, 2007

Following last night's Academy Awards, controversial director Oliver Stone, known for such films as "JFK," "Nixon" and "Any Given Sunday" officially announced that production will begin on the long-rumored project "Logan." "Logan" will cover the recent controversial events that brought down former President Charles Logan, who left office nearly two years ago.

"It's a story about an average man who comes into power mostly by accident, or more by opportunity," said Mr. Stone in an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter." "Growing up in the 60s, and I saw a lot of this country's innocence dissolve during the Vietnam War, and since that time we have looked at our government with a skeptical gaze. Charles Logan is a fascinating chapter in America's dark, untold history; I want to make sure the whole truth gets out."

The industry has been set abuzz by Stone's all-star cast: Jack Nicholson is set to play Charles Logan, Meryl Streep has been signed to play the former First Lady Martha Logan, Ed Harris is the venerable Chief of Staff Mike Novick, Greg Kinnear will play the enigmatic Walt Cummings and Jamie Foxx has been cast as Wayne Palmer, the man who would later be elected President. Perhaps most controversial is the addition of what many call a "fictional" character, a rogue government agent named "Jake Brauer," who Stone insists is a real person and was instrumental in uncovering President Logan's crimes. Brauer will be played by Charlie Sheen.

Much like his past films about past presidents, "Logan" has already been dismissed for its "dramatic licenses." Stone says he has heard it all before: "I guess I have this big bulls-eye on my back because of who I am, right? Listen, what my film reveals is something the mainstream media has ignored, despite volumes of evidence showing otherwise. Logan was a fall guy, a puppet. There was a whole... I don't even want to use the word "conspiracy" because I know people will laugh, but there was a cabal of American defense contractors, Chechen rebels, Russian expatriates, former Special Forces personnel, and Caspian Oil Interests pushing for a worldwide conflict. They used terrorist attacks on U.S. soil to manipulate geopolitics to their own economic advantage. Luckily they were stopped by a courageous man, someone the government doesn't want us to know about- his name, from what I can gather based on exhaustive research, is Jake Brauer. Two years ago, this man disappeared, so I have no idea what he looks like. He's rumored to be in North Korea, but all attempts I've made with the Koreans to find Brauer have been stonewalled. Our own State Department refuses to help find this great man."

Members of Logan's former administration have refused to comment on Stone's movie, nor has the current Palmer Administration made any statements. It would seem that, yet again, Stone is off in the wilderness, pursuing his own inner demons by way of American history. "I had a... complicated relationship with my father. He sent me away as a young boy and I don't think we ever had a reconciliation before he died. But I don't think that has anything to do with Caspian Oil Interests, so I don't get the point of your question."

We will closely follow this production and give updates as they become available.